Drive for floor cleaning machines



May 11, 1948. SIMON 7 2,441,537

DRIVE FOR FLOOR CLEANING MACHINES Filed April 20, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 WVENTOR LOUIS J. SDION v flmwvlym ATTOR NEYS May 11, 1948. J. SIMON DRIVE FOR FLOOR CLEANING MACHINES 3 Sheets- Sheet 2 Filed April 20, 1938 INVENTOR LOUIS J- SIMON i'rroR'NEYs Filed April 20, 1938 DRIVE FOR FLOOR CLEANING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOFT 'LOUIS J. smoN WENEXS Patented May 11, 1948 2,441,537 DRIVE FOB- FLOQR CLEANING MACHINES Louis John Simon, Ilford, England Application April 20, 1938, Serial No. 203,142

Section 3, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 1 Patent expires April 20, 1958 3 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for cleansing floors and like surfaces and to the kind in which a scrubbing device is followed in its operations by wiping means which make periodical contact with the floor to remove water remaining I from the scrubbing operation.

The invention has more particular application to wiping devices of the general character described in my Patent No. 2,136,324, granted November 8, 1938, in which the wiping elements move continuously in a rotary path and are subjected once during each revolution to the action of means which remove the dirty water absorbed by contact with the floor.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction and. arrangement of machine of the kind above described which is characterised essentially in that the means for rotating the wiping elements as well as the floor wheels are mounted without the necessity for a central shaft or axle thereby enabling the dirty water tankto be arranged in the most convenient position and to be easily removable for emptying and cleansing.

According to the present invention the rotary wiping elements are mounted upon a pair of gear driven rings rotatably mounted in side framework members which also carry means for supporting annular floor wheels.

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example a construction according to the invention and in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation showing the inner side of a frame member of the improved floor cleansing machine,

Figure 2 is an outside elevation of the arrangement shown in Figure 1, I

Figure 3 a vertical sectional elevation taken on V the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation taken through the centre of the machine,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the rotary driving element.

In the construction illustrated, the floor cleaning machine comprises interconnected side frame members a supporting a water tank b, an operating motor 0 and a steering handle (1. Disposed between the frame members and operated by the motor 0 is a rotary scrubbing brush e. At the rear of the brush 6 is mounted a substantially cylindrical tank 1 for the reception of dirty water removed from the absorbent flaps g which are carried by rotatable rings h and are caused to descend successively on to the floor surface which has been scrubbed by the brush e and wipe therefrom thedirty water. Two rings h are provided, one at each side of the machine, their outer peripheries being recessed at a number of points, for example six, as shown at i (Fig. 1) and into these recesses are fixed the transverse bars or rods 1 which, together with said rings, form a skeleton cylinder and carry the wiping elements g (Fig. 4). The rings h are driven through gears k and l, the latter meshing with a toothed ring m formed integral with or secured to each rin h.

In the form illustrated, the rings h and toothed rings m are formed initially as separate elements and are subsequently connected together. Each ring m is formed with an annular recess n around its periphery which on assembly with the toothed ring h forms a groove which engages a circular seating constituted by an annular flange 0 formed upon or secured to the fixed frame member a. Secured to this frame member by screws and nuts 1) is an annular member q carrying in its out- Wardly projecting portion a number of roller bearings r upon which is freely mounted at each side of the machine a floor wheel 8 which is held against lateral displacement by means of plates or washers 15 held in position by heads u forming the outer ends of the roller bearing spindles (see, Fig. 2).

The arrangement above described enables the drive for the wipers and the mounting of the floor wheels to be efiected without the necessity of employing a shaft or spindle disposed coincident with the axis of rotation of the rings h and wheels s. The absence of such a spindle and its bearings enables the dirty water tank 1 to be disposed within the circumference of the said rotary elements and in the most convenient position to receive the water removed from the wiping flaps by rollers w as they pass over the uppermost point of their rotary path. This tank f is mounted within the flanged portions of the annular members q.

In the operation of the machine above described, the rings h carrying the wiping elements rotate at a speed altogether independent of that of the floor wheels .9 which, being freely mounted, enable the machine to be pushed over a floor surface at any speed desired.

In addition to providing a very convenient mounting for the dirty water tank, the invention possesses the advantage that the gear drive is adequately protected against water which may be splashed about by the operations of the machine. In particular, the toothed ring m is substantially enclosed and thereby shielded against constitute therewith a rotatable open ended cage, and Wiping elements flexibly connected to said bars. r

2. In a floor cleaning machine, means for operatively supporting a series of absorbent wiping elements comprising frame members provided with bearing surfaces having axial openings extending therethrough, a pair of rings rotatable in r the axial openings in said bearing surfaces, an annular series of bars connecting said rings to constitute therewith a rotatableopen ended cage, Wiping elements flexibly connected. tosaid bars, and a tank mounted within said cage and removable therefrom through one of said axial openings.

I10 annular series of bars connecting said rings to V 3; In a floor cleaning machine, means for supporting and operating a series of absorbent wiping elements comprising two frame members pro- .vided with annular bearing surfaces'having axial openings extending therethrough, rings rotatably mounted in the axial openings in said bearing surfaces, an annular series of-ba-rs connecting said irings and carrying .the wiping elements, toothed rings concentric with and connected to said rotatable rings, an operating motor, and a gear drive between said motor and said toothed rings.

LOUIS JOHN SIMON.

REFERENCES CITED "The Iollowingrreferences are of record in the file 30i this; patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 20 Number Name Date 1,369,130 Rowe Eeb. '22, 1921 1,71%);550 Nordlum Apr; '23., 1929 FOREIGN'PATENTS 25 Number Country Date 442,749 Great, Britain Feb. 14,1936 

